These Homemade Plant Food for Orchids are easy to make and will help you to keep these beauties thriving with beautiful colors!
Check out our article for making DIY orchid potting mix recipes here
Homemade Plant Food for Orchids
1. Water Soluble Fertilizer
This fertilizer is an excellent nitrogen source and can be used as an alternative for regular watering once every month. Have a look below:
Recipe: Pour leftover black coffee or tea into a jug, mix four times water, and 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Store this solution in an airtight container but don’t refrigerate. It can be stored for 5-7 days. Water your orchids with this solution in place of regular watering once a month and watch them turn lush green with more flowers!
2. Granular Fertilizer
You can apply this nitrogen-rich food once a month in orchids for complete nutrition filled with extra phosphorous and calcium.
Recipe: Mix 2 cups bonemeal, 2 cups cottonseed meal, and 2 cups wood ashes in a bowl. Apply 3 tablespoons of this mix in the orchid mix once every 2-3 months. You can store the remaining mixture in an airtight container.
3. Eggshell Foliar Fertilizer
You can use this on the orchid foliage for giving them a dose rich in nitrogen, potassium, and calcium.
Recipe: Soak the 12 eggshells overnight, and grind them in a grinder or a mortar and pestle. Add this powdered eggshell mix in 1 quart of boiling water in a saucepan. Strain the solution into a clean spray bottle and spray on the orchids once in 10-14 days.
We have a great article on using eggshells in the garden. Check it out here
Other Homemade Fertilizer Recipes
4. Potato or Rice Cooking Water
Both potatoes and rice cooking water has calcium and potassium. Additionally, rice water also contains vitamin B. You can keep the water in a refrigerator after cooking or boiling potatoes and rice.
Before use, take out the water from the refrigerator and allow it to reach room temperature. Use this liquid meal once every 3-4 weeks on your orchids for greener leaves and fuller blooms.
5. Using Epsom Salt
For feeding your orchids with a magnesium-rich diet, mix a teaspoon of Epsom salt in 2 quarts of water. Soak the roots of the orchid in the solution for 10-20 minutes. You can do this once every 3-4 months.
Note: Avoid using scented Epsom salts sold for body wash or spa; instead, use the ones sold in the gardening section of home improvements stores and hardware section.
Here are some excellent uses of Epsom salt in the garden
6. Molasses
Mix two teaspoons of molasses in a gallon of water and use it to water your plants. It will give a much-needed dose of potassium to the orchids. It is commonly used in horticulture and aids in flower blooming.
7. Cow’s Milk
Cow’s milk is excellent to fight fungal diseases, which orchids are prone to. Dilute 1 part of milk to 4 parts of water and use it on your plants once every 2-4 weeks. It is a great source of calcium and nitrogen-building protein that aids in the plant’s overall health.
Pro Tip: Flush the used milk carton with water and use it on your orchids.
Check out our article on some great uses of milk in the garden here
LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
